Product Information

Publisher's Description

Today's church is continually being confronted with the question, "What is the gospel?" Bryan Loritts, a pastor in the heart of one of America's most racially divided urban centers, seizes the opportunity to answer that question in ways that may challenge your beliefs, practices and relationships.

Bryan clearly articulates the vertical dimension of the Christian faith as well as looking at the implications of salvation for growth, service, and relationships with the surrounding culture. He provokes readers to think about the implications of living out that faith. He explores what the gospel means for issues of race relations, political engagement, and class distinctions. A Cross-Shaped Gospel is a great look at how to biblically live out the whole gospel on earth by following the greatest heavenly commandments of loving God, and loving your neighbor.

Author Bio

BRYAN LORITTS is the Lead Pastor of Fellowship Memphis Church, a multi-ethnic church ministering to the urban Memphis community. Bryan has a Master's Degree in Theology and is currently working on his PhD. In addition to serving the community of Memphis, Bryan's ministry takes him across the country as he speaks to thousands annually at churches, conferences, and retreats. He is the author of God on Paper and A Cross Shaped Gospel. He was also a contributing author for the book entitled Great Preaching. Bryan was recently voted as one of the top thirty emerging Christian leaders in the country by Outreach magazine. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Biola University. Bryan is married to Korie, and is the father of three sons: Quentin, Myles, and Jaden. You can follow Bryan on twitter @bcloritts.

There have been a lot of books coming out recently answering the question, "What is the Gospel?" It is a question worth meditating and study because in the 21st century church, Christians are confused by the Gospel. Some think is all about them and their relationship with Jesus while other think it is all about making the world more Christian by Christianizing society. Some Christians feel with the gospel, God is more concerned about their own personal growth than they do about other Christians and also the evangelizing of non-Christians

Bryan Loritts' book, A Cross-shaped Gospel, addresses the Gospel in a two-part harmony. The first part as horizontal which means that Christians are called to love God. Loritts said, "To love God is to love His truth, His Word. When we love God and His Word, this becomes the standard by which we are able to navigate how to love our neighbors." The vertical aspect of the two-part harmony of the Gospel is loving our neighbor where loving God also means loving others.

Loritts other chapters talk about how the Gospel helps us accept one another despite if we are republican or democrat, which in an election year can get nasty. Also accept one another passed our ethnicity and how living our the Gospel brings glory to God. There were a lot of good points in this book about the Gospel, but I felt this book would not be the go-to book on the Gospel. It was a good book, but not one that every Christian should pick up off the shelves because it is the next great Gospel book.